今天不少父母以人權為由賦與心智未成熟的孩童過多的自由而疏於管教。過度推崇自由意志適得其反，導致沒有恰當的保護孩童受到不良社會風氣觀念毒害。有家教的孩子進退有度，不會任意妄為，也逐漸贏得別人的尊重。故此管教並不是約束自由，反而是互相尊重人際間自由的體現。今天社會在資訊泛濫和人工智能的衝擊下，大家也好像擁有越來越多的選擇權和自由度，甚至不斷挑戰傳統觀念和智慧底線，往往令人無所適從，甚至在不知不覺間誤入歧途而不自知。與其可以任意率性而為，反而也因而失去人生中的平靜安穩。
詩篇開章明義的告訴我們人生中最基本簡單的智慧：「不從惡人的計謀，不站罪人的道路，不坐傲慢人的座位，惟喜愛耶和華的律法，晝夜思想他的律法；這人便為有福！他要像一棵樹栽在溪水旁，按時候結果子，葉子也不枯乾。凡他所做的盡都順利。」詩篇 1:1-3
樹木要修剪才能夠茁壯成長，枝葉茂盛，果實纍纍。原來遵行上帝的律法並非失去自由而是在任何情況下有福的竅門。信靠上帝，順從遵行祂的律例，行事為人就能更有信心和勇氣，並且是擁有更多平安喜樂最有效有福的保證。
畫作中疏落的籬笆分隔了禾田和稗麥共存的兩個地方。在天那一方有一棵生長在溪水旁長年結果子的長春樹。讓我們在這個吹捧自由無邊界的年代，細意吟唱「Trust and obey」，重新思想對上帝信而順服：
Chorus
Trust and obey, For there’s no other way, To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey
When we walk with the Lord, In the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way
While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey
Not a shadow can rise, Not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away
Not a doubt nor a fear, Not a sigh nor a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey
Not a burden we bear, Not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay
Not a grief nor a loss, Not a frown nor a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey
But we never can prove, The delights of His love, Until all on the altar we lay
For the favor He shows, And the joy He bestows, Are for those who will trust and obey
Then in fellowship sweet, We will sit at His feet, Or we’ll walk by His side in the way
What He says we will do, Where He sends we will go, Never fear only trust and obey
陳慧忠醫生
(陳慧忠醫生是一位畫畫老師，從畫作看感恩，看我們的份，看上主創造的心意，蒙允許轉載。)
